The Symphony Orchestra of Virginia Beach Reunites with an International Star for 45th Season Opener!

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (Sept 26, 2025) – An international star, whose performance at the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts was canceled due to COVID-19, will return with Symphonicity, the symphony orchestra of Virginia Beach, to launch its 45th anniversary season in “American Icons” on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025, at 3 p.m. The concert is part of the orchestra's "VOICES OF AMERICA", which celebrates America's 250th birthday year with all-American composers in every concert.

The season opener will feature Svetlana Smolina, an acclaimed pianist praised for her powerful and passionate performances. She has performed with orchestras around the world, including the New York Philharmonic and the Mariinsky Orchestra.

Svetlana Smolina, piano soloist, will be featured on Oct. 5, 2025, 3 p.m. at the Sandler Center.
PHOTO BY RICHARD WHITE

Smolina met Symphonicity's music director and conductor, Daniel W. Boothe, at the Philadelphia International Music Festival in 2019. That led to her initial invitation to Symphonicity in 2020. At the last minute, that performance was canceled due to COVID-19.

"Canceling that concert and the rest of that season was so disappointing," said Boothe. "Svetlana and I were determined to find a way to make things happen one way or the other."

In 2021, using masks and spaced seating, Smolina successfully made her Symphonicity debut in the orchestra's first public return to the Sandler Center. Only a couple hundred patrons were permitted to attend due to COVID-19 restrictions. Boothe's intent was always to bring her back to Virginia Beach in a more appropriate showcase.

"Now we are so lucky to once again bring back this sensational artist," said Boothe. "The power and precision of her artistry will rock the halls of the Sandler Center!"

"I am so excited to return to the beautiful Sandler Center to share Gershwin's genius with Virginia Beach music lovers," said Smolina. "I feel such great chemistry with Maestro Boothe and the very fine musicians of Symphonicity!"

The program for “American Icons” highlights the diversity and genius of American composers. The selections include:

• Timothy Mahr's Fanfare and Grand March: This work, a longstanding favorite of Boothe, was originally written for winds and organ. Symphonicity commissioned this version, for full orchestra, to serve as an anthem for its 45th anniversary season.
• George Walker's Lyric for String Orchestra: Walker was the first African American composer to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music. This beautiful, moving work was dedicated to his grandmother, who lived many years as a slave in America.
• Charles Ives' Variations on "America": Ives was an insurance executive by trade and a musical innovator by night, famously pioneering concepts like estate planning while creating some of the most unique works in American music. In this piece, he treats the well-known song "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" with an unpredictable and somewhat humorous assortment of stylistic caricatures.
• George Gershwin's Concerto in F: Gershwin began his career as a "song plugger," playing sheet music for customers in Tin Pan Alley before becoming a musical giant who blended jazz with classical music. He taught himself orchestration just to compose this concerto, which many consider his greatest masterpiece.
• John Philip Sousa's Stars and Stripes Forever: Sousa wrote this iconic march while aboard a ship returning from Europe, finding the inspiration for America's national march in a moment of homesickness and personal loss.

Daniel W. Boothe, Music Director & Conductor

COURTESY PHOTO

“This season is a tribute to the American sound in classical music through the voices that created them,” said Boothe. “With such a variety of planned selections spanning the influences of classical, jazz, gospel and bluegrass, this is truly a symphony season for every type of music lover!"

The 2025-26 season continues with a series of concerts at the Sandler Center:

• November 16, 2025: “Bernstein, Barber & A World Premiere”
• December 23, 2025: Symphonicity Messiah Sing-Along (Free Admission)
• February 15, 2026: “Come Sunday! A Spiritual Salute”
• March 22, 2026: “The B-Sides: Undiscovered Gems” with Andrea Boothe, soprano
• April 12, 2026: “America the Beautiful” with Jeff Midkiff, mandolin
  

In December, Symphonicity will also partner with Ballet Virginia for their annual production of The Nutcracker.

Single tickets for the season are available for purchase at the Sandler Center or on the Symphonicity website starting at $29. Subscriptions for the entire season are also available, offering a savings of up to 15%.

Founded in 1981 by music director David S. Kunkel, Symphonicity is the symphony orchestra of the City of Virginia Beach and a proud resident member of the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts. Today they are comprised of more than 200 talented musicians from the local community, including professional musicians, music educators, and dedicated amateurs who dedicate more than 12,000 hours annually to offer high-quality, innovative, and dynamic symphonic experiences. As teachers, business professionals, homemakers, composers, and more, they play for the love of music. To learn more, visit symphonicity.org.

Media Contact:

Name: Nikki Bergman

Title: Executive Director

Office: 757-671-8611

Email: office@symphonicity.org